Shloka 115
Rāma’s Meeting with Agastya: Gift-Ethics (Dāna) and the Tale of King Śveta
न गतिर्भविता मह्यं कुंभयोनिमृते द्विजम् । श्रुत्वेत्थं भाषितं राम दृष्ट्वाहारं च कुत्सितम्
na gatirbhavitā mahyaṃ kuṃbhayonimṛte dvijam | śrutvetthaṃ bhāṣitaṃ rāma dṛṣṭvāhāraṃ ca kutsitam
“โอ พราหมณ์ผู้เกิดสองครั้ง! สำหรับข้าพเจ้าไม่มีที่พึ่งใด นอกจากท่านผู้กำเนิดจากหม้อ (ฤๅษีอคัสตยะ) เท่านั้น” ครั้นได้ฟังถ้อยคำเช่นนั้น โอ พระราม และได้เห็นอาหารอันน่ารังเกียจนั้นด้วย…
Unclear from the single-verse excerpt (context needed to confirm the speaker in Adhyaya 36).
Concept: When confronted with moral pollution and helplessness, one should seek refuge in a realized, divinely sanctioned guide rather than rationalize the impure.
Application: Avoid normalizing what conscience recognizes as 'kutsita' (vile). Seek counsel from a trustworthy spiritual elder/teacher before acting under pressure.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A troubled figure stands before a hermitage threshold, hands folded, eyes lowered in shame and urgency. Nearby, a covered platter of 'kutsita āhāra' lies rejected, while the distant silhouette of the pot-born sage is hinted through a radiant aura, suggesting the only safe refuge.","primary_figures":["supplicant speaker (unnamed)","Agastya (kumbhayoni)","Rāma (as addressed, implied presence)"],"setting":"forest hermitage edge with sacrificial fire, kusa grass, and a simple leaf-plate of food set aside","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["earth brown","ash grey","saffron ochre","deep forest green","muted lotus pink"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a forest āśrama scene with Agastya as the central refuge, haloed with gold leaf; the supplicant in humble posture, a rejected leaf-plate of impure food in the foreground; rich reds and greens, ornate jewelry minimal for ascetics, gold leaf aura and border motifs of lotus and conch.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate hermitage in a Himalayan-forest idiom, refined faces and soft shading; the supplicant gestures toward a covered platter while looking to Agastya’s calm figure; cool greens and browns, lyrical trees, a small yajña-kuṇḍa with thin smoke.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, Agastya with characteristic large eyes and serene expression, the supplicant shown with expressive hands; temple-wall palette of red, yellow, green; stylized forest and a small fire altar, the impure food depicted as darkened, avoided.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Vaishnava-inflected composition with lotus borders and subtle conch motifs; the moral contrast shown by a dark platter at the bottom and a luminous saintly refuge above; peacocks and floral vines framing the scene, deep blues and gold accents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["rustling forest leaves","low temple bell","soft conch in distance","crackling sacrificial fire"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: gatirbhavitā = gatiḥ + bhavitā; kuṃbhayonimṛte = kuṃbhayoni + mṛte; śrutvetthaṃ = śrutvā + ittham; dṛṣṭvāhāram = dṛṣṭvā + āhāram.
FAQs
“Kumbhayoni” (“pot-born”) is a standard epithet of the sage Agastya, referring to his miraculous birth associated with a kumbha (pot).
It points to the dharmic emphasis on purity and discernment in what one consumes—food can be morally/spiritually “blameworthy” depending on its source, manner of preparation, or association.
The line expresses reliance on a revered rishi as the only effective guide or protector in a difficult situation; Agastya is invoked as the decisive authority or savior figure in the narrative.